The Saturday Night Live Emmy Nominees' Best Sketches of the Season
Garnering a whopping 11 Emmy nominations, Saturday Night Live gave a slew of comedians a platform to showcase their unique, wide-ranging talents in the show’s 43rd season.
Cast members Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson and special guest Alec Baldwin were all honored with supporting actor or actress in a comedy series nominations, while standout hosts Donald Glover, Tina Fey, Tiffany Haddish and Bill Hader were recognized in guest categories.
Below, a sampling of the hilarious sketches that helped these incredible talents make a lasting impression on Emmy voters.
‘The Chaos President Cold Open’
In September, SNL set the tone for its politically charged season with a scathing take on the Trump administration’s contentious behavior. The fitting kickoff included brilliant work from Bryant as White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, McKinnon as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Baldwin as President Donald Trump.
‘Diner Lobster’
Not even Pete Davidson could stifle his laughter during this delightfully absurd sketch. Thompson starred as a giant lobster who channels Les Misérables‘ Jean Valjean with a heartfelt ballad. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, McKinnon joined in as a bottom-feeding Claws-ette.
‘Black Jeopardy‘
Chadwick Boseman reprised his Black Panther character, T’Challa, in a fan-favorite bit that also showcased Jones and Thompson in one of his signature game show host roles.
‘Stefon on St. Patrick’s Day’
Former regular Hader returned to SNL as host in March, bringing back his beloved city correspondent character to “Weekend Update.” To viewers’ delight, he broke just as much as ever, and even brought along John Mulaney, who helped create the character, as Stefon’s lawyer.
‘Kellywise’
Once again proving she is a true comedic chameleon, McKinnon flawlessly embodied evil It clown Pennywise and presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway in a single, terrifying character.
‘Welcome to Hell’
Responding to the disturbing revelations of the #MeToo era, female cast members, including Emmy nominees Bryant, McKinnon and Jones, performed in a searing music video about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment.
‘A Kanye Place’
As Glover was gearing up to host SNL this spring, rapper Kanye West caused a cultural firestorm with a tirade of controversial tweets. Glover and company addressed the situation with a side-splitting parody of The Quiet Place.
‘Mean Girls’
Fey returned to host SNL after turning her Mean Girls screenplay into a Broadway musical. This digital short imagined what it would be like if she also insisted on starring in the high school-set show. It gave us a healthy dose of Liz Lemon vibes and some amazing star cameos.
‘Friendos’
In May, Glover, Thompson and cast member Chris Redd took “it” rap group Migos to group therapy. It was all at once catchy, hysterical and surprisingly touching.
‘Tournament Fighter’
Haddish already claimed the award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 8. She took on the role of a wayward video game character in one of her most memorable sketches, which found her causing chaos at a convention.
The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Michael Che and Colin Jost, will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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